Guidance

School business management national scholarship fund

Find out how to apply for a scholarship fund towards school business management qualifications.

This guidance was withdrawn on

The school business management national scholarship fund closed on 31 March 2016. Visit the Institute for Leadership and Management for information on leadership development for school business managers.

Overview

Scholarships are available for school business managers (SBMs) to receive funding towards accredited SBM programmes.

To be eligible for the scholarship you will need to:

For more information about who has approval to run the SBM qualifications, contact customer@i-l-m.com.

The Institute of Leadership and Management has accredited 3 new qualifications. These will be similar to the outgoing certificate, diploma and advanced diploma awarded by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) and its predecessors:

  • Level 4 diploma in school business management
  • Level 5 diploma in school business management
  • Level 6 diploma in school business management

These qualifications will:

  • increase the number of trained SBMs
  • encourage SBMs to deepen their professional knowledge, skills and experience
  • maintain and build on the professional status of SBMs

Apply

The application round is now closed.

Who can apply

You must:

  • be employed as an SBM, bursar or similar role in a state-funded school in England
  • have the support of your headteacher or chair of governors
  • be able to fund any additional fees for the qualification
  • be ready to start the programme by the end of the summer term 2016
  • agree to complete a programme evaluation and impact summary

Allocation of scholarships

The scholarship covers part of the programme costs. You’ll need to fund any additional costs. You should speak to your chosen provider to confirm the programme fees.

NCTL will work with training providers to administer scholarships. Payment will be made directly to the provider on approval.

Programme Scholarship value
Level 4 diploma or a minimum of 3 units £500
Level 5 diploma or a minimum of 3 units £700
Level 6 diploma or a minimum of 3 units £1000

You shouldn’t commit to a training programme based solely on the possible success of your scholarship application.

Priority areas

In the event of over-subscription, priority will be given to applicants based in:

  • schools with an Ofsted grading 3 or 4
  • schools with a budget deficit
  • small schools (100 or less pupils on roll)
  • schools who currently don’t have a qualified SBM working within their school/partnership
  • schools with the following free school meal provision:
  • 19% or greater for primary/special/all through schools
  • 16% or greater for secondary schools
  • schools located in a rural setting
  • areas with historically low SBM programme graduation levels

Low SBM programme graduation level areas

Priority will be given to applicants who apply for the following SBM programme levels in each area.

East
Local authority SBM programme level
Bedford 5 and 6
Cambridgeshire 4 and 5
Central Bedfordshire 6
Hertfordshire 4 and 5
Southend on Sea 5 and 6
East Midlands
Local authority SBM programme level
Derbyshire 4 and 5
Leicester 6
Rutland 6
London
Local authority SBM programme level
Barnet 4
Brent 4
City of London 5 and 6
Harrow 6
Hillingdon 5 and 6
Hounslow 6
Kensington and Chelsea 4 and 6
Southwark 5 and 6
Sutton 6
Tower Hamlets 5 and 6
Waltham Forest 6
Westminster 4, 5 and 6
North East
Local authority SBM programme level
Gateshead 6
Hartlepool 6
North Tyneside 6
Redcar and Cleveland 6
South Tyneside 6
Sunderland 6
North West
Local authority SBM programme level
Bury 5
Cheshire East 6
Cumbria 4
Haltom 4 and 5
Knowsley 6
Manchester 6
St Helens 6
Trafford 4
Warrington 4
Wigan 6
South East
Local authority SBM programme level
Bracknell Forest 6
Isle of Wight 6
Kent 4
Oxfordshire 5
Portsmouth 4, 5 and 6
Slough 6
West Berkshire 5
South West
Local authority SBM programme level
Bath and North East Somerset 6
Cornwall 4 and 5
Isles of Scilly 6
North Somerset 6
South Gloucestershire 6
Torbay 6
West Midlands
Local authority SBM programme level
Sandwell 5
Solihull 4
Yorkshire and the Humber
Local authority SBM programme level
Kirklees 5
North East Lincolnshire 5
North Lincolnshire 4 and 5
North Yorkshire 4 and 5
Sheffield 5 and 6
Wakefield 5 and 6
York 6

Contact

School business management team

Published 16 June 2014
Last updated 11 February 2016 + show all updates
  1. The SBM scholarship application round has now closed.

  2. The application round is now closed.

  3. Updates to when the programme will start.

  4. Application round is now open.

  5. Next application round opening date published.

  6. Application round now closed.

  7. Application round now open.

  8. Application round opens on 23 February 2015.

  9. Updated following closure of application round at midday on 18 July 2014.

  10. First published.